Wanted Washoku cooking challengers -For professional Japanese cooking chefs in the world

The Washoku World Challenge is a cooking contest in which Japanese cuisine chefs from all over the world compete in technical expertise and passion for Japanese food. The contest, the 5th of its kind, is organized by the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for non-Japanese chefs.

To widen the door for chefs to share the love for Japanese cooking, this time we will be held qualifying tournaments in six cities worldwide (London, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Tokyo). Chefs who pass the qualifiers will be invited to the final tournament, to be held in Tokyo on February 13th and 14th, 2018.

Contest theme is UMAMI, which is the source of the savoriness of Japanese cuisine. In Japan, the technique of extracting umami from kombu kelp and bonito flakes to create dashi broth was developed approximately 500 years ago. Japan has a long history of valuing dashi highly, and its umami has brought out the flavors of ingredients and played key roles in the creation of delectable dishes.

* Travel and hotel expenses for qualifying tournaments are to be paid for by the contestants.* Travel and hotel expenses for the final tournament will be covered by the contest organizing committee.* There is no participation fee.